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Among tourists, Thailand’s Songkran festival is best known for its exuberant and anarchic water fights. For three to five days, depending on the region, Thais of all ages throw ice cold water at each other and at visitors, along with copious ladles of talc, turning the country into a soaking and snow white playground.

Traditionally, the police are out in force to combat drink driving – last year the festivities cost 364 lives and incurred some 3,559 injuries. The Ministry of Culture usually reminds visitors and Thais alike that dressing in skimpy clothes damages the nation’s wholesome image. Following those pronouncements, everyone drinks, drives and generally lets down their hair - and sometimes a lot more.

Revellers pose for a selfie in Bangkok yesterdayCredit:
AFP or licensors/CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT

Prime Minister and junta leader General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, who has been steadily increasing his grip on Thai values since the military coup in 2014, called for the arrest of revellers who bare all. And to fight a severe drought that’s hit 27 of the country’s 76 provinces, the water battles have had curfews imposed. In Bangkok, only those taking place on April 13th and 14th have been authorized and by 10pm, party goers have to be off the streets in tourist areas.

Yesterday, the English language The Nation newspaper published the official dos and don’ts for the coming days on its front page. The Don’ts include wearing skimpy clothes, perform lewd dances, using high pressure water guns, drinking alcohol at official events and playing with red plastic bowels inscribed with the name of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a grave offence possibly considered as sedition to be punished with up to seven years in jail.

In Thailand, the rules don’t always match what happens on the street. On Khao San Road, Bangkok’s backpacker tourist ghetto and very much the venue for the city’s most exuberant celebrations, the usual chaos began a day early, on April 12th and reigned with hedonistic abandon into yesterday evening.

But the military footprint is felt by locals and foreigners.

British tourist James Cowdell said: "There are checkpoints on Silom Road where guards take high powered water guns off people. Me and my mates turned round and followed a group of Thais along a couple of side streets. Once on Silom, the mayhem was incredible."

Tourists join in the celebrations in BangkokCredit:
NARONG SANGNAK

On Khao San Road, Kate Hobson from Southport was in the thick of it yesterday, oblivious to both moral guidelines and water shortages. "I don’t know anything about the drought," she said. "Some people are using mist sprayers but I wouldn’t swap my water cannon for anything today."

It remains to be seen how much of a damp squib the festivities will turn out to be. Drinks vendors had to hide their beer supplies from city officials. And shortly after 10pm on Wednesday, police cleared Khao San Road and drove thousands of revellers into the surrounding alleys.

Songkran celebrations will continue until the weekendCredit:
REX

Away from the tourist areas, it’s business as usual. British-Canadian expat Colin Roberts was out shopping Wednesday night. "At 9pm, the streets around Sathorn were still clogged with pick-ups loaded with kids throwing water everywhere. Most of the drivers I saw looked seriously drunk."

The casualty rates on the roads have doubled compared to last year. By Thursday 181 people had lost their lives, more than 1,777 were seriously injured, many in drink driving incidents. While the junta government makes efforts to instil sound moral values, it fails to save lives. Any serious travel plans around Thailand might better be shelved till next week when drivers have sobered up.